Grain Trade Australia chair Andrew Goyder gives the opening address at AGIC 2023.

AROUND 550 delegates from Australia and beyond have gathered in Melbourne today for the Australian Grains Industry Conference to hear from experts from across the supply chain and related sectors over a two-day program.

Hosted by Grain Trade Australia, Pulse Australia, and the Australian Oilseeds Federation, the 2023 event has the theme Challenging Success, Maintaining Momentum, all in light of a record 2022-23 total crop of 73 million tonnes.

“This has swallowed the previous best of 63Mt in 2021-22,” GTA chair Andrew Goyder said.

“Who would have thought we could achieve these numbers, especially after those terrible years of drought?

“As an industry, we should celebrate the run of excellent years.”

Mr Goyder said three consecutive bumper years have seen the industry operate “at or above capacity” and made grains Australia’s largest agricultural export industry.

Beyond the vagaries of seasons, Mr Goyder said Australia was part of a global supply chain where Russia’s actions were posing a risk to global food security.

“The situation in Ukraine is nothing but a tragedy.”

“Global food security is a key issue impacting trade and our industry.”

Mr Goyder said ESG credentials have emerged as an issue for the grains industry to navigate in domestic and global markets.

“The consumer across the global is placing increasing focus on this.”

Along with ESG, trade, and R&D topics, the supply chain for both imports of fertiliser and other inputs, and outturn of grains to domestic and export consumers, features on the AGIC 2023 program.

Mr Goyder said GTA was working the Federal Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry to help ensure biosecurity safety as part of a shared goal and a proactive stance.

“It’s best not to take things for granted.”

Australia’s trade relationships are also being discussed at AGIC 2023, and Mr Goyder made special mention of 25 futures leaders of the Indonesian grains industry attending the event as part of the Indonesia-Australia Grains Value Chain Leadership Program.

Mr Goyder said Australia now had 34 grain-export terminals in operation under the ownership of 18 different entities, up from 18 terminals owned by four in 2008 prior to deregulation of the grain-export market.

“It’s a big change in less than a generation.”

Federal Minister for Agriculture Murray Watt also addressed the opening session of AGIC 2023. Read about what he had to say on Grain Central tomorrow.

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